Chapter Summaries

Hao Shuai, Zhuge Kongping, and Bai Rourou returned to the main hall after Bai Rourou temporarily restrained the Bronze Armor Zombie. As Wang Hui and Bai Rourou argued, ghosts gathered outside the hall, leaving the group facing a new threat.

• Bai Rourou bound the Bronze Armor Zombie with a sash, talismans, and hairpins, then secured it to two trees.
• Zhuge Kongping suggested leaving, and Hao Shuai realized his Dao Heart Seed Demon field had magnified Zhuge Kongping's selfish instincts.
• Bai Rourou objected to abandoning the townspeople, and she and Zhuge Kongping returned to the main hall with Hao Shuai.
• Bai Rourou strengthened the Bagua formation by hanging her horsetail whisk on the Ghost Sealing Vault's Bagua Taiji lock.
• Wang Hui arrived with Xiao Ming and Xiao Hua, then argued with Bai Rourou over Zhuge Kongping.
• Wang Hui refused to let Bai Rourou draw an evil-warding talisman on Zhuge Kongping, and Bai Rourou pointed out a crowd of ghosts gathering outside the main doors.

Hao Shuai watched Zhuge Kongping and his family defeat the released ghosts, then faced a Silver Armor Zombie that had grown beyond their ability to handle. Zhuge Kongping proposed retreating to seek Taoist Sect experts, despite Bai Rourou’s concern for the townspeople.

• Zhuge Kongping and his family, Bai Rourou, and the Ghost Servant fought off the ghosts released from the Ghost Sealing Vault while Hao Shuai secretly shielded Bai Rourou.
• The Bronze Armor Zombie returned after absorbing corpse energy and transformed into a Silver Armor Zombie.
• The Silver Armor Zombie chased Zhuge Kongping’s group, and Hao Shuai secretly redirected it whenever it pursued Bai Rourou.
• Zhuge Kongping proposed a strategic retreat to contact Taoist Sect experts, while Bai Rourou worried about the townspeople and Wang Hui prioritized her family’s safety.

Bai Rourou stayed behind to hold off the Silver Armor Zombie after Zhuge Kongping fled with his family, while Hao Shuai pretended to risk his life for her. When the zombie knocked Bai Rourou down, Hao Shuai scooped her up and ran from Zhuge Kongping's house.

• Wang Hui, Zhuge Xiao Ming, Zhuge Xiao Hua, and Zhuge Kongping grew exhausted as they fled the Silver Armor Zombie, and the group realized someone had to stay behind to distract it.
• Wang Hui and Zhuge Xiao Ming and Zhuge Xiao Hua looked to Bai Rourou to hold off the zombie, while Zhuge Kongping struggled to choose between his family and his junior sister.
• After Wang Hui was seized and Zhuge Kongping saved her, he urged Bai Rourou to stay behind, and she agreed when he would not meet her eyes.
• Hao Shuai offered to stay with Bai Rourou, but she charged the Silver Armor Zombie while Wang Hui dragged Zhuge Kongping and the children away.
• The Silver Armor Zombie struck Bai Rourou down, and Hao Shuai unleashed his aura before declaring he would not abandon her.
• Hao Shuai scooped Bai Rourou onto his back and ran out of Zhuge Kongping's house as the Silver Armor Zombie approached.

Hao Shuai rescued Bai Rourou from a Silver Armor Zombie and took her to a cave, where he cared for her and cooked a meal. After secretly relieving his desire in the Great Tang World, he shared roast pheasant with Bai Rourou and hoped his attentiveness would win her over.

• Hao Shuai carried Bai Rourou through the mountains while deliberately prolonging their close contact, then sent the Heng Ha Two Generals to deal with the pursuing Silver Armor Zombie.
• Hao Shuai brought Bai Rourou to a cave, gave her medicine for her internal injuries, and left to find food.
• Hao Shuai spent over an hour in the Great Tang World before returning to the cave with a pheasant.
• Hao Shuai roasted the pheasant and served Bai Rourou, who praised his cooking and ate eagerly.

Hao Shuai persuaded Bai Rourou to travel with him to Maoshan, where they could attend a ceremony for a newly promoted Golden Core True Person. After spending the night in a cave and sharing breakfast, they set out together, with Bai Rourou growing warmer toward Hao Shuai.

• Bai Rourou said she planned to return to her cultivation retreat, but Hao Shuai suggested going to Maoshan to seek a master and see the new Golden Core True Person.
• Bai Rourou agreed to visit Maoshan, and Hao Shuai kept watch while she rested in the cave.
• Hao Shuai prepared water and porridge for Bai Rourou in the morning, and she began to see him as more appealing than her senior brother.
• Hao Shuai asked to call Bai Rourou by her given name, and she agreed.
• Hao Shuai retrieved the Heng Ha Two Generals from outside the cave, and he and Bai Rourou left for Maoshan.

Hao Shuai and Bai Rourou arrived in Jiuquan Town, Uncle Jiu’s hometown, and stopped at a restaurant where Hao Shuai overheard Nicholai Zhao Si and David arguing over the sale of Zhao Si’s haunted distillery. The young woman’s return to town distracted Hao Shuai and left him and Bai Rourou awkwardly confronting their jealousy.

• Hao Shuai recognized Jiuquan Town as Uncle Jiu’s hometown and entered it with Bai Rourou.
• Hao Shuai and Bai Rourou ate at a busy restaurant, where Hao Shuai ordered the town’s signature dishes and wine.
• Nicholai Zhao Si argued with David over David’s low offer for Zhao Si’s distillery, which David suspected was haunted.
• Hao Shuai sensed that Zhao Si was being haunted by a ghost.
• A young woman returned to town, and Hao Shuai’s remark about her appearance made Bai Rourou jealous.
• Hao Shuai and Bai Rourou each realized they had little right to criticize the other’s feelings.

Hao Shuai learned that Zhao Si's distillery was haunted and decided to watch Maoshan Ming attempt to catch its female ghost that night. He persuaded Bai Rourou to join him, hoping to assess both the priest and the ghost.

• Bai Rourou showed jealousy toward Hao Shuai, and he took it as a sign that she considered him hers.
• David greeted Annie, a woman who had just returned from studying in the West, while the restaurant's patrons stared at her revealing clothes.
• Maoshan Ming introduced himself to Zhao Si as an eighteenth-generation Mount Mao disciple and agreed to catch the female ghost haunting Zhao Si's distillery for two hundred and fifty Silver Dollars.
• Zhao Si left pleased with the deal, expecting that removing the ghost would make his valuable distillery worth keeping.
• Hao Shuai invited Bai Rourou to watch Maoshan Ming catch the ghost that night, and she agreed after he claimed he wanted to assess the priest's abilities.

Hao Shuai and Bai Rourou watched Maoshan Ming stage a fake ghost exorcism at Zhao Si's distillery, where he used his little ghost Da Bao to frighten Zhao Si into paying more. As Maoshan Ming questioned the supposed ghost Li Xiaohong, Da Bao was left confused when he departed from their agreed script.

• Hao Shuai and Bai Rourou found Li Xiaohong's coffin exposed in the distillery courtyard and watched Maoshan Ming begin his ritual.
• Maoshan Ming frightened Zhao Si with Da Bao's tricks and demanded extra payment to deal with the ghost.
• Bai Rourou explained the ranks of ghosts and noted that the ghost choking Zhao Si was only a wild ghost.
• Maoshan Ming questioned Da Bao while pretending to communicate with Li Xiaohong, but Da Bao was confused when Maoshan Ming changed the script.

Maoshan Ming mistook the red-clothed female ghost for Da Bao and listened to her fabricated tale, while Hao Shuai stopped Bai Rourou from intervening as the ghost killed Zhao Si. Maoshan Ming and Da Bao tried to flee, but the ghost attacked Maoshan Ming, leaving him to defend himself with his peachwood sword.

• The red-clothed female ghost emerged from the coffin, frightening Zhao Si and Da Bao while Maoshan Ming thought Da Bao was putting on a ghostly act.
• The female ghost told Maoshan Ming a false story about Zhao Si abusing and killing her, and Maoshan Ming praised Da Bao's performance before realizing he was alone.
• The female ghost seized Zhao Si and drained his Yang energy; Hao Shuai had kept Bai Rourou from stepping in.
• Maoshan Ming and Da Bao decided to escape, but the female ghost confronted them and lunged at Maoshan Ming.
• Maoshan Ming thrust his peachwood sword at the female ghost's wrist to defend himself.

Hao Shuai and Bai Rourou defeated a red-clothed female ghost in Jiuquan Town, while Maoshan Ming barely escaped with their help. The next morning, they heard that an abandoned church had reopened, drawing the townspeople toward it.

• Maoshan Ming injured the red-clothed female ghost with his peachwood sword, but she overpowered him until Bai Rourou intervened with three copper coins.
• The ghost attacked Hao Shuai, but his Lightning-struck Wood burned her claw, and Bai Rourou fought her.
• Bai Rourou stabbed the ghost through the heart and recited the Daoist Rebirth Sutra until the ghost vanished.
• Hao Shuai comforted Bai Rourou, then left the back courtyard with her after Maoshan Ming interrupted them.
• The next morning, Hao Shuai learned from the waiter that an abandoned church had reopened, and the townspeople were heading there.

Hao Shuai and Bai Rourou watched Jiuquan Town’s church reopen under Father Wu, despite sensing that it stood on an extremely inauspicious site. After the church doors opened and released a wave of cold, baleful energy, they decided to remain in town and see what would happen.

• Hao Shuai learned from a waiter that a new missionary had arrived and reopened the ruined church, then agreed with Bai Rourou to visit after eating.
• Hao Shuai and Bai Rourou followed the townspeople to the church, where Father Wu preached and promised free goods to draw a crowd.
• After the sermon, Annie made a donation and the local gentry followed, while most residents rushed to claim the free goods.
• Bai Rourou asked whether they should stop the missionaries from opening the church, but Hao Shuai chose to wait and observe because they were outsiders.
• The missionaries broke open the church doors, releasing cold air and baleful yin energy that Hao Shuai sensed could make anyone living inside ill.

After Jiuquan Town appeared peaceful, Hao Shuai detected zombies attacking residents and split up with Bai Rourou to deal with them. When he found a zombie feeding on Annie, he recognized the scene from a movie and briefly returned to the real world to identify the story as Exorcist Master.

• Bai Rourou decided to leave Jiuquan Town with Hao Shuai the next morning.
• Hao Shuai sensed zombies and sinister energy in town, woke Bai Rourou, and agreed to split up with her to fight the zombies.
• Hao Shuai sent Ren Tingting to secretly protect Bai Rourou while he went in the opposite direction.
• Hao Shuai found a zombie biting Annie, who appeared to embrace it blissfully, and recognized the scene from an old video.
• Hao Shuai returned to the real world, asked Red Queen to identify the video, and learned that it came from Exorcist Master.

Hao Shuai saved Annie from a vampire zombie, but her advances led him into an intimate struggle with her. Meanwhile, a zombie attacked the mayor and David before Exorcist Master Tu Long arrived.

• Hao Shuai killed the vampire zombie with his Bone-Melting Palm and treated Annie with a talisman and his magic power.
• Annie clung to Hao Shuai while apparently asleep, and he eventually stopped resisting her advances.
• A zombie entered the mayor’s house and attacked the mayor, but garlic breath drove it back.
• The zombie chased and caught the mayor and David, and Tu Long arrived just as they were about to be attacked.

Bai Rourou defeated Daoist Tu Long and killed the corpse-poisoned mayor and David before heading to the church. There, Hao Shuai pretended to be mortally wounded to confess his love to Bai Rourou, who accepted his proposal.

• Bai Rourou fought Daoist Tu Long and drove a coin sword into his heart.
• Bai Rourou found the mayor and David infected with corpse poison, killed them, and continued toward the church.
• Hao Shuai arrived late at the church and saw Ren Tingting fighting the vampire zombie while Bai Rourou rested nearby.
• Hao Shuai secretly prompted Ren Tingting to let the vampire zombie strike, then took its claw attack while protecting Bai Rourou.
• Hao Shuai pretended his wounds were fatal and confessed that he loved Bai Rourou and wanted to marry her.
• Bai Rourou accepted Hao Shuai's proposal.

Hao Shuai revealed that he had recovered from his wounds and that he could command Ren Tingting, a Silver Armor Zombie, after she defeated the vampire zombie. Bai Rourou realized Hao Shuai had been hiding his cultivation and demanded to know his realm.

• Bai Rourou agreed to become Hao Shuai's wife and kissed him, after which he revealed that his wounds had healed completely.
• Hao Shuai stopped Bai Rourou from leaving the church and ordered Ren Tingting to finish off the vampire zombie.
• Ren Tingting overpowered the vampire zombie, drained its blood and corpse energy, and reduced it to powder.
• Hao Shuai admitted that Ren Tingting was a Silver Armor Zombie he had refined, prompting Bai Rourou to realize he had cultivation.
• Bai Rourou recalled Hao Shuai's suspicious abilities and demanded to know what realm he had reached.

Hao Shuai revealed his cultivation and feelings to Bai Rourou, then took her to explore other worlds before traveling to Maoshan. He arrived at the ancestral court and reunited with Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai.

• Hao Shuai told Bai Rourou he was a Golden Core True Person and confessed that he had hidden his strength to get close to her.
• Bai Rourou confronted Hao Shuai for deceiving her, but they reconciled and spent the next three days together.
• Hao Shuai took Bai Rourou sightseeing across several worlds and left her in the Great Tang World with her friends.
• Hao Shuai reached Maoshan after two days of travel and was escorted up the mountain by a Daoist boy who recognized him.
• Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai welcomed Hao Shuai at the mountain gate and proudly told him about their cultivation progress.

Hao Shuai arrived at Maoshan’s Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace and revealed to its leaders that he had reached the Golden Core stage. True Person Huayang ordered everyone to keep Hao Shuai’s breakthrough secret, while Hao Shuai hoped the revelation would earn him access to Maoshan’s rare manuals.

• Qiu Sheng guided Hao Shuai to Taiyuan Hall and explained Maoshan’s three palaces and five temples.
• Hao Shuai respectfully greeted True Person Huayang, the other seven Grandmasters, Uncle Jiu, and the gathered elders.
• True Person Huayang praised Uncle Jiu and asked Hao Shuai why he could not sense his cultivation level.
• Hao Shuai announced that he had reached the Core Formation stage and revealed his Golden Core aura, shocking everyone in the hall.
• True Person Huayang celebrated Hao Shuai’s breakthrough, then ordered everyone to keep it secret under threat of punishment.

Hao Shuai completed the Maoshan register ceremony, gaining formal recognition as a disciple and access to the sect’s Scripture Repository. The sect named him the senior-most disciple of the new generation, and he settled into a private courtyard near Great Maoshan Peak to rest.

• True Person Huayang ordered everyone to keep Hao Shuai’s Golden Core cultivation secret, and Hao Shuai thanked him for his concern.
• Taoist Huayang conducted Hao Shuai’s register ceremony, which informed Maoshan’s past masters that Hao Shuai had joined the sect.
• True Person Huayang named Hao Shuai the senior-most disciple of the new generation, and Hao Shuai promised to bring glory to Maoshan.
• True Person Huayang granted Hao Shuai permission to study any scriptures and arts in the Scripture Repository.
• Hao Shuai declined to stay at Wanfu Palace and chose a private courtyard near Great Maoshan Peak, where he went to catch up on sleep.

Hao Shuai explored Mount Maoshan’s Scripture Repository and expanded his knowledge of Daoist arts while awaiting Uncle Jiu’s promotion ceremony. The ceremony began with Uncle Jiu appearing in purple robes, and Hao Shuai endured its lengthy proceedings.

• Hao Shuai greeted the disciples who recognized him as Chief Senior Brother and watched the sunrise from Mount Maoshan’s summit.
• Hao Shuai entered the Scripture Repository with permission from the guards and studied the Maoshan Sorcery Compendium and Corpse Refining Technique.
• Hao Shuai spent more than twenty days reading every book in the repository, greatly expanding his knowledge of Daoist arts and spells.
• Maoshan disciples and guests from other sects gathered at Nine Heavens Wanfu Palace for Uncle Jiu’s promotion ceremony.
• Uncle Jiu appeared in purple ceremonial robes, and the ceremony began with Hao Shuai finding its proceedings long and tedious.

After the sects’ three-day gathering ended, Hao Shuai secretly took the Maoshan Nine Elders Immortal Capital Seal and replaced it with a matching imitation. He left Maoshan believing that, as its future sect leader, he was only taking what would eventually be his.

• The sects spent two days comparing their younger disciples in a gathering called a discussion on the Dao, and Hao Shuai won the title of the younger generation’s number one.
• After two more days at Maoshan, Hao Shuai said goodbye to Uncle Jiu and the others, claiming he was traveling down the mountain.
• On his last night, Hao Shuai sneaked into Yuanfu Wanning Palace and found that he could lift the Nine Elders Immortal Capital Seal after circulating Maoshan’s cultivation method.
• Hao Shuai put the genuine seal in his space and replaced it with an imitation he had obtained in the Deer Cauldron World.
• Hao Shuai left the hall without guilt, reasoning that he would eventually become Maoshan’s sect leader.